Captain’s log, Stardate 20080126

Weekend with Daddy
Originally uploaded by radioflyer007


Mommy is away for a weekend getaway in the sunshine state of Florida with a good friend. I am home with the kids. It was time to prove that Daddy was just as capable of caring for the youngsters. The plan was to do everything there was in our own sunny Southern California and tire the kids out.

The previously advertised rain storm seemed to be holding off for the morning. So after a late yet satisfying IHOP breakfast, we took a nice walk at our very own Redondo Beach. Yes, the actual beach. In January! There was nothing but blue sky above and colorful sailboats on the horizon. Only in California.

Back home, strangely enough, surfing the Internet for hours did not quite keep the kids occupied as I had hoped. But the ‘Shroom and Lolli did get a kick out of singing along with the little mice of “An American Tail” -- thank goodness for Youtube and all the illegally posted movie clips. Technology rocks!

. . . . . . . . Click here for some snapshots . . . . . . . .

The day was still beautiful out. We had to go out for a picnic lunch at the park. ‘Shroom goofed around expending his endless boy energy while Lolli and I ran a mean game of football – well, until I lost her to the yellow dandelion flowers in the field... Girls will be girls. She’ll always put a smile on my face. We winded down the day reading at a local Barnes & Noble. I decided to reward Lolli with a Disney princess and horse book – both her favorites. Everybody wins.

In order to rekindle my masterful culinary skills, I put the kids in front of Dora the Explorer. (Note to self: We really need a Chinese Dora pushing Mandarin as a second language -- My two Asian American kids fluent in “hola” and “rapido!” just don’t quite make the FOB Daddy look good. But I digressed.) My Macaroni and Cheese had a wonderful fusion flare of frozen peas for fibers and chicken nuggets for proteins – making even the pickiest kiddy eater happy and the toughest Grandma proud. Watch out, Ming Tsai, here I come!

After baths and reading of the new princess-and-horse book, I was ready put the day behind me. "I love you, Daddy,” said 'Shroom before the light went out in their room. “I miss Mommy. I'll be thinking about her. And I'll be thinking about Snow White and Cinderella, too." With a warm smile, this Daddy closed the door too beat to even veg in front of the TV for the night.

My new plan: Upon Mommy’s return, beg like a baby for her to never leave town again -- No, no, avoid admitting at all cost how inadequate and limited I felt at times today… Grrgh, I can’t decide. Must go to bed now.

I, too, miss Mommy.

Air Boss. Over and out.

In Memory of Grizzley

In Memory of Grizzley
Originally uploaded by radioflyer007

On this day, January 25, 2008, we grieve with our friends Peter and Cassie and mourn the loss of Grizzley, a sweet and gentle friend to us all.

Photo taken on June 26, 2004 in New Hampshire as 'Shroom looked on at almost two years old.

- Air Boss

Plastic Surgery at Age 3?

Well, Lolli's laceration isn't healing so well. We've just returned from a trip to her pediatrician and the doctor is not at all pleased with what she saw.

"It does not look good at all," I had heard her mutter to her staff assistant as she stepped out of the examination room Lolli and I were in.

Not something a parent appreciates hearing from their child's doctor.

So, Lolli has an infection. The Durabond ("human super glue" as Air Boss calls it) was puffing out as some excess fluid seemed to be collecting at the cut. Her right eyelid was beginning to look a little blueish and drooping a bit due to some slight swelling. The glue was not smooth nor was the cut flat and flush with the skin.

What should have been a quick 15 minute appointment turned into a whole morning affair. We were lucking to get squeezed into to see a plastic surgeon in the same medical facility. Although Dr. Plastic agreed the cut was infected, he didn't think that there was anything that could be done at the moment. Lolli would need to take her antibiotics to reduce the infection.

"We'll wait and see how it heals first," Dr. Plastic said, "if it looks like there's going to be a substantial scar, we can see if we need to cut it open again and suture it properly."

I looked around the surgeon's office and saw lots of mounded bags of fluid. Some big and some smaller. Some with clear fluid. Some with cloudy fluid. Round squishy looking pouches. Tons of them. They almost looked like breast implants. Oh - duh. I now remember I live in L.A. where the capital city is Botox and flanked by Collagen Campus and Silicon Valley (and I'm not talking about semiconductor devices).

So - the verdict isn't in on the need for plastic surgery but I--we--felt vastly out of place. We thanked Dr. Plastic for his time and we left with Lolli clutching her pink lollipop curtesy of the pediatrician (I'd hate to see what the "giveaways" would be from Dr. Plastic's office).

I'm so glad Lolli didn't seem to have noticed the "liquid pouches" in the room. Anyway, we're back home and with regards to her eye, I'll be sure to keep an eye on things (pun intended).

The Start to 2008

New Year's Crash
Originally uploaded by radioflyer007

The New Year should bring about new hopes, new goals, new resolutions and other things along those lines. Although Air Boss and I aren't really into making New Year's resolutions (that way we can say we didn't fall short of our resolutions at the end of the year!), perhaps I can make one exception:

- stay out of Emergency Rooms for the rest of this year

What should have been a pretty ho-hum trip to a local food market turned into a crying, sobbing, bloody mess in a very public place. Long story short, 'Shroom and Lolli, who were climbing the sides of the shopping cart, tip the metal cart over. The crash brought loud screams from the youngsters, panicked looks from other shoppers, and record-breaking sprints from Air Boss and me.

'Shroom was pinned underneath the shopping cart. Lolli looked like she had fared better as she simply lay sprawled on the floor. I scooped her up as Air Boss freed 'Shroom. Air Boss and I tried to calm and quiet the kids down because we were now drawing a concerned (or was it curious?) crowd.

As I walked away with Lolli's head resting on my shoulder (she was still sobbing), I heard Air Boss yell from behind me, "She's hurt! She's hurt!" Sure enough, when I turned Lolli's head my way I saw that both her eyes were streaming blood.

I felt my heart stop beating.

When Lolli saw the blood on her hands, her sobs reached a new pitch. "No blood! No blood!" she shrieked. "I don't want blood!"

Somehow, we managed to pull ourselves together, even pay for our groceries, and bee-line it to a local hospital emergency room (not without having to call a friend to find out where the nearest ER was).

Lolli ended up with a gash just outside of her right eye. There was no injury to her left eye and the blood from that eye was probably transferred there by Lolli herself as she was touching her face. Even though she could have used one to two stitches, we opted to use the skin glue to hold the laceration together. It was too close to her eye and we didn't think we would be successful in keeping her motionless as the doctor stitched her up.

Well, our little Lolli is back to normal (except for the eye which I try to hide with a bucket hat on her head as I'm sure she would get some stares from people). She has been a tropper ("I didn't cry when the doctor saw me" is her proud moment).

Oh, and yes. 'Shroom and Lolli have learned not to climb on shopping carts again. A lesson well-learned. I just wish it didn't require a trip to the ER for that lesson to be learned.